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It was valentines day and everyone was getting ready for his/her dinner date except me. As usual, I was to spend the night alone so to avoid any unwanted negative feelings (meaning, feeling lonely) i decided to sulk in my room, my comfort zone, and watch a movie in my laptop while eating my fave dark chocolates. I was on my hopeless romantic mode so i wanted to select a romantic comedy among the short list of my movie collection most of which i have watched more than once so I chose a Bollywood (Indian) film which I haven’t seen yet despite being in my collection for almost a year. It was entitled “Mr. Perfect” and to be honest, I didn’t like the film on first impression. BUT that all changed after I’ve watched it for about 2 and a half hours– its now one of my favorites! I thought i was in for the usual love stories where boy meets girl,they fall in love and live happily ever after but i got more!

Im not sure if sharing with you the story would be a great idea for i might spoil it, but I’ll do it anyway. Its about this young man Vicky who is so egoistic, self centered and never goes out of his way for others, not even his parents. He always gets what he wants and in pursuit of his dreams, he has hurt others along the way but doesn’t care. His father has arranged someone for him to marry, a childhood friend, Priya, whom he used to dislike. Unlike him, she is generous, understanding, and has a good heart but she also dislikes him. Upon meeting after so many years, they try to make each other’s lives miserable but end up liking each other. When they are about to be engaged, Vicky refuses despite their mutual feelings and goes back to Australia. There he meets another Indian girl who thinks like him– strong willed, competitive and stubborn. He falls in love and asks for her hand from her father who happens to be one of those people whom he has had a conflict with. Since the father does not approve of their engagement, they have agreed on a challenge for Vicky to attend a family marriage ceremony in which he has to impress and convince all of the people there that he is indeed worthy of the girl. The father would ask 4 people randomly, should any one of them think of him unworthy, he should walk away forever. Unexpectedly, Priya is also a guest at the wedding and as Vicky stays and tries to win the challenge with her help, he gradually transforms into another man who is able to change everything around him. As for the outcome of his love story, you have to see for yourself.

What caught me is not the love story but rather the subtle spiritual teachings implicated all throughout the movie. Aside from the great entertainment of their dancing and singing plus a straight forward comedy which I enjoyed so much, at the core of the movie are the great teachings of the Hindu religion which were passed down since time immemorial: the transcendence beyond one’s ego, the awakening of the consciousness within us, the happiness in sacrificing for our neighbors, the satisfaction from doing good to others instead for our own gain, the importance of stillness, stopping once in a while to live in the present moment despite the fuss of the modern world and the love that is free of any expectations, as unconditional as the gods love us. These are all incorporated in the movie ingeniously without making it boring or uninteresting. Also, it amazes that even in these modern days, Bollywood movie makers and writers still inject the richness of the Indian culture in their films, a practice which has long been obsolete in the movie industry of the west. Most movies now a days are trash, ordinary and unstimulating. They are dictated by what the crowd wants, not by what they need to be shown. Movies now become just a mere lucrative business and here, the true purpose of media is lost. Upon watching this movie, truly the Indians have earned my respect. I am looking forward to watching more Bollywood films, from which Im sure I could gain more spiritual insights that would help me become a better person. Movies should not only be for the satisfaction of the flesh but also of the spirit. Namaste. _/I\_